Sanctuary Beach Resort

We decided to beat the heat for a few days and take a trip to Monterey Bay. It would be hard for a trip to California to be complete without some time on the coast. We wanted something calm and relaxing, and that is exactly what we got, it was perfect! We stayed at the Sanctuary Beach Resort at Monterey Bay and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect place for this trip. It is a habitat preservation with private bungalow type rooms.

Here is the beach access from the hotel...I love the look of sand with the blue of the sky and ocean!Here is the gorgeous view from our room. My mom and I were talking about how wonderful it would be to have this view from the kitchen window and get to enjoy it every day! We spent a lot of time on this balcony reading, eating, and looking at the ocean.

Because this place was a habitat preserve, they did not allow cars to drive down to the individual bungalows.. therefore, we got our very own electric golf cart for driving around the property! We had some fun in this :) The first day there, we did 17-Mile Drive (around Pebble Beach, etc) which was breathtakingly beautiful. We took the time to stop at the landmarks along the way. I would LOVE to one day bike this loop as it would provide the time to enjoy the scenery and be so much fun.
We stopped at this beach, where there were at least 50 seals lying out sunning themselves...some covered in sand, others just enjoying the direct sunlight.

"The Lone Cypress"-apparently one of the most photographed views of the Pacific Ocean.

It was shocking that the moment I stepped out of the car, my hair immediately got crazy. I love the ocean air anyways, and just have to come to terms with the fact that my hair will never look good at the beach. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make :)
In the evening, we walked out to the beach by the hotel to enjoy the perfect sunset. It was getting quite chilly by this point, but the view was amazing.
In an effort to warm up after sunset, Karleigh and I carted over to the giant hot tub...and it did the trick, warmed us right up (until we had to get out!)
To warm up after getting back to our room, we showered, put on our awesome robes and sat by the fireplace in our room. It was the perfect end to a beautiful day.

Before checking out, we sat and watched the waves roll in. There was an awesome surfer out there, and I was SO jealous. Made it look so fun!

For lunch the next day, we had to hit up Phil's Fish Market again...my dad has been thinking about the cioppino him and Grant shared back over Christmas Break.
(yes, we bought matching $1.50 UK blue sunglasses :) The blue pin in south Lexington was my addition to the board...Enjoyed some more (and warmer) time at the beach, and then headed home (in which we hit some usual+4th of July traffic-but we were ready for it).
Overall, a wonderful get away! If only Holly and Grant could have been with us, it would have been a perfect trip. They were there with us in conversation though...you were both greatly missed!